Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-06-12
A NIGHTS LODGING.
WHERE THE TRAMP AND BUM ARE
SENT FOR 6AIMY SLEEP.

A Lodging House for the HeAsSe0
Wrecks which Floas UPea -tAs Co..
munity-The Dosing Ksn".rAs Yivs
Cent Lodgers-sleeping vagabe.daGs.
Sergeant, kin ye give me tickse e. q
nights lodgingf'
-when did you strike town.
about an hour ago"
Sand you amt no PROFESSIONAL OF co9fss
not
Il got my foot hurt about . month EGO md
it laid me up for . couple Of weenb % u
leaves me little short; bat III get work 20
MORROW"
swell, you'd better. There's very ssvRe
vagrant law in this state, and II you eoms
here again up you go TO the work house.
The above scene, with only slight variations.
is enacted from ten to fifty times every nighe
at the Central police station, the finale bsing
the exit Of the applicant with . blus tckse
emitting him to five cent lodging on Eass
Larned street. To the gentle minded rsadG
the manner and language Of Sergk Martin
may seem q trifie severe; but experisncs
proves that in nine-tenths OF the casss u =
fully justified Almost without excepetoo
these applicants for the eitys charity con-
plain of some visitation Of Providence IN IL
way Of accident or sickness, when In truth -
is visitation in the way Of their own vtc4oO
appetites for drink that has bereft them a
means and left them mere wrecks upon To
community, floating hither and thith9, .
burden to Acknowledgements and frteod-
less.
THE ~possIxo KEN"
And what Of the lodgings to which they goi
If one-half the world knows not how the othr
half lives, a large part OF the world-com-
posed Of those who retire upon wholesome
beds in pleasant rooms and with comfortable
garments-can have but vague idea Of what
a tramps lodging house is like. In summer
large number Of the vagrant clas select
some deserted house or shed for their lodging
place, where no light Shincs and no eye
watches over them. Into such place no ono
enters unless he be under the influence q
drink or in a condition Of all to gain and
nothing to lose And the tenure Of such TO
sorts is very brief, for hardly does the place
become a habitual dosing KEN - the
tramps have it, before some serious breach of
the peace occurs To invite its destruction b.
the police But nothing Of the sort occurs at
the place ON East Iarned street. The pro
and understands the class with whom he deals
most thoroughly.
By his courtesy we win enter and look the
place over The first floor ID devoted wholly
to the management and domestic carrying on
Of the lodging house. On the second and
third floors are small rooms partitioned or
with common planed boards and provided
with plain sleeping pallets These rooms arc
! ten and fifteen cents night, according 70 the
conveniences they contain. and one may hang
| up his watch on the wall and be sure OF find.
| ing it in the morning. Water, towel and
| soap are provided and there are no rats
| Should any guest claim that he has besn an
| noyed by rats during the night be II advised
to sign the pledge and try and brace up.
| THE FIVE CENT LoDGERs
The fourth floor. large room some 3}x15O
| feet Is devoted TO the five cent dodgers. Thcrs
are tiers of bu. Is built around the sides Of
| the room, four eep, and two four tier rows
| of hunks run through the center OF the room
| These hunks are not spacious. but @fit man
| like his cofiin.n Two hundred men can BE-
| lodged here and il is a sigular fact that dur
| ing half the nights OF the year every bunk y
occupied Most Of the dodgers remove their
boots or shoes, but sleep in their clothing. and
| the atmosphere, favored . IL Is with the spsr-
| itlous brea,hs Of many Of the slsepers. b noe
without its sanitary peculiaritiss. The color
| line Is not drawn on the fourth floor, and The
| cleaning white flesh OF the Caucasian nsstiss
| cozly beside the ebony arms OF the swarthy
| Senegambian The warmth OF the room In
summer becomes excessive. and clothing be
| comes a secondary consideration 70 comfort
| Begging like sorrow, knows no seasons-
| sthe morning. noon and night with hers tbs
| same--and for twenty four hours Ia each
| day the watchfui eye u an attendant ranges
| along the tiers Of hunks and no movement of
| the lodger escapes il. What stertorious brsath-
! ing and dismal snores resound from this mas
| Of sleeping vagabopdage can only 10 TN
| aginet What wild gibberish Is talked In
sleep; what starts and cries from the vidtar
! ton Of nightmares, and what savage oaths
| from the parcbe1 and burning throet~ Of ths
| poor victims OF rum, who have gone 70 sleep
| with qlIiesccnt nerves, TO wake with . burn
| ing tbirst-their stomachs pefect lime kiln
| must also be left 10 the imagination: no pen
could approach It's description Detroit FIRES
! Press
| II Was = False Alarm.